Having a good idea is just the first step toward entrepreneurship, and with the right advice, your business ambitions can move closer to reality through the Veteran Ventures Program (VVP). Offered through Centenary University, the VVP is currently accepting applications for the February 2025 cohort. The deadline to apply is January 27, 2025!
The VVP is a free, grant-funded entrepreneurship training program consisting of nine weeks of interactive online training sessions followed by ten months of business analysis and coaching from industry leaders.
The program is open to all ambitious entrepreneurs who are:
- Active service
- Reservists
- Veterans/Retirees
- Civilians CG
- Members of the CG family
Through this program, seasoned entrepreneurs and industry leaders guide participants interested in starting their own business through the process of conducting a feasibility study of their idea, developing a business plan, and presenting their plan to potential investors and the public. The VVP includes eight hybrid training sessions, hands-on clinics, a lecture series, and workshops with accredited consultants. Additionally, participants will participate in a final pitch competition and receive 10 months of free business assessment and coaching from industry leaders.
The VVP fall cohort concluded on November 19, 2024. Eight of the 11 course participants (73%) were Coast Guard-affiliated, including enlisted, officer, and Coast Guard civilian participants. Additionally, two of the Coast Guard participants tied for victory in the final pitch competition that concluded the course. Both presentation winners spoke positively about their experience:
Lieutenant Eyobe Mills, chief of waterways management at the Marine Safety Unit in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, noted the following:
“The VVP program gave me the opportunity to turn my idea of providing personal finance training to students from socioeconomically disadvantaged communities into a fully developed business plan. Throughout the program, I gained valuable knowledge about the essential elements needed to start and sustain a small business.
The second winner of the pitch competition, MSTC Steven Andrzejewski, course leader at Training Center Yorktown, also had good things to say about VVP:
“VVP has been a valuable tool in getting my new landscaping business off the ground. We covered weekly topics to help us develop a business plan and understand all aspects of starting a new business. Thanks to VVP, I have a better understanding of the journey I am about to begin. VVP has strengthened my network and provided me with the tools needed to run a successful business. »
The next VVP course begins on February 11, 2025 and ends on April 8, 2025. Applications are due by January 27, 2025.
Ready to apply? Click the registration link at the top of the VVP website and you will be contacted with additional application and interview requirements.
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